Who said, "Give me liberty or give me death." NO ONE ever spoke those
words; they were written into the mouth of Patrick Henry by William Wirt in his
book, Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry. Thomas Jefferson, a
friend of Wirt, considered the book a work of fiction.

@Hughcpa, you seem quite certain that Henry never uttered those words.

Interesting reference to Wirt. The Liberty or Death speach was
popularized by William Wirt - who, as you mentioned, wrote a biography of Henry
in 1817. It is not known if minutes were taken at this convention or if Henry
spoke from prepared notes. How, then, did Wirt reconstruct the content and style
of the speaches attributed to Henry, or were his writings, as you have strongly
claimed, works of fiction?

One way he did so was by corresponding
with people who remembered Henry and who were there during these events. Thomas
Jefferson was one such correspondent, and many of the letters between Jefferson
and Wirt have been preserved. About Henry, Jefferson said that he "through a
long and active life had been the idol of his country beyond any man who ever
lived." Another correspondent was a Judge Winston, who had married
Henry's widow. Wirt also obtained information about Henry from newspapers
(from 1763 on) and court documents.

Patrick Henry was much more than
a spirited orator. Here's a guy who became a lawyer at 24 and within a
couple years had successfully argued one of the most notable case in the state
of the era (the Parson's Cause). At the age of 28 was arguing the case for
expanded sufferage before the Virginia House of Burgesses. At the age of 29 was
one of the very few non-aristocrats elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses
and, and a freshman member, immediately led the successful Stamp Act resistance
in that body. By age 40 he was the Colony's first non royal appointed
governor.

Then again, as we examine history, how many accounts are
truly accurate? Did Paul Revere's midnight ride occur as we have leaned?

Hugh, enjoy your weekend. I hope that we all can agree that great
sacrifices were made for this land.

We do have taxation without representation today. A legal alien, for example,
that has a work US visa pays taxes, but does not get to vote.

We have
a nominal representation for those who are US citizens. Sure if you do not like
a certain tax or how your taxes are spent you could write to your
representative. He will send you a letter of response saying he feels for you,
but even if he has the best of intentions he alone cannot do much about it. With
the technology available to us today I think we can do better than that. Those
who pay taxes should be able to have a more direct say in how the money is
spent. At least part of the federal and state budget could be voted on online
with the vote limited to those who actually pay the taxes that go into those
budgets.

God is mentioned throughout the quotes from our Founding Fathers, and how the
Colonies would have to rely on Him to overcome such a formidable foe as their
British oppressors to establish themselves independent, free above all other
nations. I don't hear our current "leaders" ever mention our
continued reliance on that same Being to help us remain free. Why not? Is it
not politicly correct? Are we afraid of offending someone? is there any wonder
why we are abdicating our rights to an ideology that our Founders shunned and
were willing to risk their lives to free themselves from, all in the name of
equality and antiracism?I question if the United States of America would
have been founded under our current state of affairs and way of thinking.
Thomas Jefferson, "God who gave us life, gave us liberty. And, can the
liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm
basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift
from God, and that they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I
tremble for my country when i reflect that God is just, and that His justice
cannot sleep foreve.?